Giving Thanks on DonorsChoose.org

“The technology tool that you have funded will enable students to choose a just right book, be engaged, use word work applications to further and strengthen their vocabulary and increase their fluency. The students love using the Kindle. My struggling readers stay engaged in their reading… my higher readers stay challenged.”

Mrs. Yamanishi’s thankful Middle School Students

“Your support sends the message to students that it truly ‘takes a whole village to raise a child,’ which validates their sense of self-worth. I know they are all eager to enter unknown lands with characters that will provide them with new and unique opportunities to journey into an alternate reality.”

Ms. Reeve’s thankful High School Math Students

"I cannot thank you all enough for your generosity and support! It is refreshing to see that so many of you support mathematics education and the students in low income areas. With these calculators, we will be able to explore complex math concepts. I hope that these will ease the student frustration that often surrounds complicated math concepts."

Last year, we received thanks like these from more than 1,000 grateful NEA members who received critical learning materials and resources via our dollar match of donations received through DonorsChoose.org, a giving site for public school educators. With the help of public school educators and citizen philanthropists, we helped grow the minds of about 95,000 students with new classroom resources.

Already during the 2012-2013 school year, we’ve fulfilled another 739 classroom requests that will ultimately improve the learning and futures of more than 56,000 students. Even so, at this writing, there are 749 more waiting to be funded. And, in the face of severe budget cuts, educators are posting new requests for much needed classroom materials every day.

During the holiday season, we urge you to find a teacher and classroom you can support. You can search by location, subject, age, need, or type of support at donorschoose.org/neafoundationmatch. You can honor a friend with a gift, or encourage others to honor you by helping a teacher. Best of all, when you make your tax-deductible donation, the NEA Foundation will double your gift providing important learning materials for the classroom you select.

Show your thanks and hope for public education by finding a classroom to support today.